The legal team representing former Rivers State House of Representatives member, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has strongly condemned the recent transfer of his legal challenge against the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.
The case, originally filed in the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, was moved to the Abuja Division on the orders of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi. In a protest letter, Dr. Dagogo’s lawyer, Cosmas Enweluzo SAN, described the transfer as a violation of judicial independence and due process.
Enweluzo SAN argued that since the Attorney General of the Federation is a party to the suit, he lacks the statutory authority to initiate or direct the transfer of the case from one judicial division to another. He emphasized that no party involved in the case filed any application seeking a transfer on permissible legal grounds.
The legal team maintained that the Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court is the appropriate forum to hear the matter, especially considering that the effects of the Emergency rule are primarily felt in Rivers State. They called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reconsider the decision and uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
The suit involves key government officials, including President Bola Tinubu, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas.
